Hey!

Active Folks Over 50 is a place to talk about fitness and healthy eating information as it relates to weight loss and/or maintenance--and also about any work, fun, hobby, or volunteer activites you're engaged in. In other words, the active part of your life!

Just a few guidelines for this thread:

- Raves about grandkids or ranting about your kids is out of bounds.

- Discussion of your illnesses, conditions, treatments, and medical procedures in general is also out of bounds on this thread. So is whining about old age!

- Positive stories of vacations taken, volunteer work, or achievements at work or elsewhere are highly encouraged! As are recommendations for books, movies, lively discussions of weight related issues, etc.

Join in!
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hijude, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is a game where you have a pad on the floor and a screen, and different "games" at different levels. The idea, as I understand it, is that you try to match the steps shown on the screen. It was devised as a way to get kids to be physically active while playing an arcade-type game. But it now has many more fans than just kids. Go here:

http://www.ddrgame.com/

There is a TV Game--you don't have to have a PlayStation or XBox or computer. The TV Game comes with a pad that goes on the floor and connectors that attach to the TV. It isn't very expensive. I haven't used it myself--I bought one for my sister, but I haven't heard her opinion of it. I think it sounds fun and I want to get one myself.

The shopping was a mixed bag. I did find some nice suits that fit me--I currently wear a petite 14. But the suits did not have any pockets. None. This won't do. I am not a woman who carries a handbag. So, I didn't buy anything. Instead I came home, armed with my correct size, and ordered some clothes online from a company I've bought from before. These suits have pockets, lots of pockets.

I wasn't impressed with Macy's selection and quality, I have to say. But it could be that I was reacting to current styles.

What are you all up to?

Jay

Wow . . . things are hectic right now . . . hopefully I'll be able to chat more later.

BTW -- where did you get the Dance Dance Revolution -- might it be available at Walmart for instance? I've had trouble ordering from US suppliers in the past (i.e. duties and additional fees, etcetera, and the DDR website even mentions that those things are possible when ordering directly from them).

They must think Canada is a foreign country.

I don't care much for Macy's either, and they seem to be just about the only major department store left in business. I am thinking I need to visit my son in Ventura where there is a Macy's and a Lassen's and a Trader Joe's. A shopper's paradise! Lassen's is a health food sort of place - very much like Whole Foods or Wild Oats.

I want a Nordstrom...

meowee, they do carry DDR in Wal-Mart, but I'm not sure how much of a selection they have.

Here's a YouTube video of a 5-year-old boy who is a real prodigy at DDR! You can see how the screen scrolls and how he matches his steps with the arrows on the screen. This is a pretty advanced one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jzcq...eature=related

Jay

P.S. Here's another video of two teenagers in an arcade doing a DDR workout together:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gh6hzs_7Kc&NR=1

I dunno, do you think it's aerobic?

Jay

Hi all! Just back from the technology conference The weather was awful, but we made good time anyway (thank heaven for lots of experience driving in Northern Michigan )

We spent a fortune at Trader Joes, thanks for all of the suggestions. We picked up several of your recommendations and I can't wait to incorporate them into my planning for the next couple of weeks

Jay - thanks for the info on DDR. It always sounded so fun, but since we don't have a gaming system, I didn't think much about it. I had no idea you could get is separately. I will have to check the connectors and see if it will hook to the data projector or DVD or VCR (since I don't have a real tv).

I agree with the Macy's verdict. I have never found anything there that I liked. I'm still figuring out where to buy clothes in "normal" sizes. It has been so long since I shopped anywhere except a plus size store. And - I'm still buying everything at second hand stores for now.
One of my co-workers is a real clothes horse. She was thrilled when we went to Dillards while attending a wedding in Florida. She came home with 5 suits!

My boss just scheduled a speaking engagement in Chicago for us in March. I'm thinking a new suit is in my future.

NSV for me today. Final day of the conference and the first thing I see on the dining table is a massive piece of 3 layer chocolate brownie cake type thing. swirled with chocolate sauce and chocolate candy also on the plate of course. Well, I ate all of my broccoli, all of the zucchini in the penne pasta dish, half of the pasta, and one bite of the dessert. I then sat there listening to the speaker for the next hour and 15 minutes while that cake stared at me. It kept jumping up and demanding my attention (really - it seemed to) but I wasn't even tempted to eat another bite.

Spiny! Great to read your post! I just love your sense of humor - you are such a blessing around here

Pam - sorry to hear about your mom. I will continue to keep your family in my prayers!

I Sweet Fang! Let me know if you do get a DDR. I'm interested in ANYTHING that gets me moving and shaking more (LOL - I"m sounding like Linda!)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Well I think we should all meet at the arcade and do that dancing. It looks great. Loved watching the two teens. Not sure if it is here in Canada yet. I will have to ask the kids.

Interesting to hear about your shopping. I so would like to get out of the plus size clothes. I am short and I feel like everything looks awful. Part of the reason I never go shopping.
I envy both you ladies that are into regular sizes. Maybe that will help keep me on track.
The best place that I ever shopped was in Montreal. Fabulous fashions there. The French influence I guess.

I will look forward to that. I am on the west coast and so the fashion here is very beachy. But we do have much better shopping than in the past.

Hope everyone has a good weekend. I have such a challenge with the weekends so here is hoping I do better.
take care everyone......Jude may get to the movies.

Just a quick -- Having an ugly ice storm right now and the lights are flickering periodically. Our groundhog had best stay in his burrow or he'll end up frozen to the ground before he even gets a chance to look for his shadow.

Stay safe and warm and dry Linda!

Glad you had fun at Trader Joe's, CountingDown! I just love that place.

How do I get re-motived to exercise?I went 5 days a week to Curves and exercised on weekends @ home.Now I'm 51 (since Aug.11 of 2007) and as of the 1st of Jan.2008 I haven't exercised or had the desire too! What is up with that?Nothing has changed at home so not sure if @ 51, you go thru another phase in your life or just have a real bad case of the flop-butt.HELP!

I just love your blocks for weight loss.Did that come from ticker-factory?

IlerJo - for me, exercise is something I just schedule. If I wait until I feel like it - well, I'm a pretty sorry case sometimes! Today DH and I decided we would go skiing after church. Usually we take a nap. The pull of that warm couch was very intense. My body KNEW it was nap time. It is Sunday - a day of rest after all But, once we got on the trail, it felt pretty good. And it felt GREAT when we finished.

I do the same thing every day. I don't allow myself to decide IF I will exercise - I allow myself the flexibility to choose how and when I will exercise. Weights, skiing, walk, DVD, pilates, yoga, Gazelle, whatever.

And - thank you for the comment on my avatar & ticker. They are a couple of clipart images put together in Photoshop.

Yesterday was busy, busy, busy . . . some good stuff; some not so good stuff.

Today . . . I'm awake much too early and just may have to go lie down for a little while. Other than that, I'm hoping for a calmer day -- really need to get this week's laundry finished.

Hey meowee, you're sure an early bird today.

IlerJo,

I don't think there's anything about 51 in particular that would make one not want to exercise--unless it's a belief about age! But if you're hoping you'll "want" to exercise one of these days... well... don't wait too long. I agree with CountingDown--it just has to be on the schedule so it gets done, whether one feels like it or not. I'm struggling with this myself right now--but I at least get my walk in every day.

So what's up? Where are our other posters? Hijude, BillBlueEyes, SpinyMouse, gailr42... don't get lost now!

Jay